The Orchards & Cider Competition at the Royal Bath & West Show is generally regarded as the world’s largest cider judging. Cider is such an important part of the show that historian Alan Stone has even written a booklet on the topic: Cider at the Bath & West Show. The judges for this year’s competition include cider legends Julian Temperley (Burrow Hill), David Sheppy (Sheppy’s), Rose Grant (Cider by Rosie), Helen Thomas (Westons), Martin Thatcher (Thatchers), Andrew Lea (Craft Cider Making), and James Russell (Naked Guide to Cider).
The results have been posted in a database on the Bath & West site, but they may not be complete or official just yet. Michael Cobb obtained a photocopied list and has posted results to the Cider Workshop mailing list; these conflict somewhat with the Bath & West site, so I have merged the two results listings together for now until the dust clears. [I’ve since edited the post to include the number of entries in each class based on this message from Andrew Lea.]
Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come for American cider that Mike Beck (of Uncle John’s) earned an award in the International Cider class?
Supreme Champion Cider (Classes 1-8, 13-15)
Champion: Ashridge [Class 6]
Reserve Champion: Burrow Hill [Class 3]
Best Cider Adjudged (Classes 5, 8)
Winner: Cotswold [Class 5]
Reserve Special: Thatchers [Class 8]
Best Farmhouse Cider (Classes 13-15)
Winner: Burrow Hill [Class 14]
Reserve Special: Palmers Upland Cyder [Class 13]
Best Apple Juice (Classes 9-11)
Winner: Once Upon A Tree [Class 9]
Reserve: North Perrott Fruit Farm [Class 11]
Best Perry (Class 12)
Winner: Troggi
Best Organic Cider (Class 4)
Winner: Mr. Dave Rowe
Best International Cider (Class 16)
Winner: Val de Rance
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Class 1 – 47 Entries
Dry Cider, Bottled (SG 1.008 or below)
1st: Hogan’s
2nd: Thatchers
3rd: Sheppy’s
Highly Commended: Barnes and Adams
Class 2 – 54 Entries
Medium Cider, Bottled (SG 1.008 to 1.015)
1st: Hogan’s
2nd: Sheppy’s
3rd: Healey’s
Highly Commended: Thatchers
Class 3 – 29 Entries
Sweet Cider, Bottled (SG 1.015 and above)
1st: Burrow Hill
2nd: Burrow Hill
3rd: Old Grove
Class 4 – 5 Entries
Organic Cider, Bottled
1st: Mr. Dave Rowe
2nd: Ashridge
3rd: Westons
Class 5 – 44 Entries
Bottled Cider (taste and presentation)
1st: Cotswold
2nd: Perry’s
3rd: Pilton
Highly Commended: Blaengawney
Class 6 – 12 Entries
Bottle Fermented Cider
1st: Ashridge
2nd: Gospel Green
3rd: Bollhayes
Class 7 – 13 Entries
Naturally Sweet, Bottle Conditioned Cider (arrested fermentation)
1st: Mr. Richard Stone
2nd: Cider by Rosie
3rd: Cider by Rosie
Class 8 – 28 Entries
Single Variety Cider
1st: Thatchers
2nd: Perry’s
3rd: Wilcox
Highly Commended: National Trust Barrington Court
Class 9 – 25 Entries
Single Variety Apple Juice
1st: Once Upon A Tree
2nd: Hecks
3rd: North Perrott Fruit Farm
Class 10 – 6 Entries
Carbonated Apple Juice
1st: Orchard Pig
Class 11 – 22 Entries
Blended Apple Juice
1st: North Perrott Fruit Farm
2nd: Mrs. A. Pearmund
3rd: Once Upon A Tree
Class 12 – 28 Entries
Perry, Bottled
1st: Troggi
2nd: Butford Organics
3rd: Old Grove
Highly Commended: McCrindle’s
Class 13 – 62 Entries
Farmhouse Dry Cider (SG 1.008 or below)
1st: Palmers Upland Cyder
2nd: Mr. Christopher Brown
3rd: Green Valley
Very Highly Commended: Broadpool
Class 14 – 50 Entries
Farmhouse Medium Cider (SG 1.008 to 1.015)
1st: Burrow Hill
2nd: Kington
3rd: Bridge Farm
Very Highly Commended: Blackmore Vale
Class 15 – 40 Entries
Sweet Cider (SG 1.015 and above)
1st: Mr. Albert Rixen
2nd: Kington
3rd: Kington
Class 16 – 29 Entries
Cider, Bottled, Outside UK
1st: Val de Rance (Brittany, France)
2nd: Cidre Ecusson (Pays de la Loire, France)
3rd: Val de Rance (Brittany, France)
Very Highly Commended: Sidra de Asturias Pomerania Sn (Asturias, Spain)
Highly Commended: Uncle John’s (Michigan, USA)
Class 17
Perry, Bottled, Outside UK
1st: Little Creatures Pipsqueak (Western Australia, Australia)